They call this city, Vishakhapatnam, as the “city of destiny”, never knew how or what coined this term and it sounded like a cliché for me! As I am about to leave this city for another one far away, a few thoughts appears in my mind as small bread crumbs of memories about this city and my life within it. As the self analysis rolled down, I understood there exists a relentless connection with my own destiny, my own life, my own thoughts and moreover an ethereal stroke of fate!
My first encounter with Vishakhapatnam was way back in 1998 when I was doing my Pre-Degree second year (similar to the plus 2) in St.Albert’s College, Ernakulam. I was a cadet in National Cadet Corps, and one among the 35 member Kerala & Lakshadweep Contingent for attending the Nau-Sainik Camp-98 in Vishakhapatnam. We were rigorously trained in various activities like Roving (Boat pulling), Enterprise Class yatching, Sema Phore, Ship modelling.etc . Out of the 35 member team I was selected, through a lott system, for Boat Pulling team. If I correctly remember they chose 8 member team and I was in. All our efforts got paid as our team won the Gold medal in Boat pulling, the trophy called “Silver-cock” was lifted once again ( the previous was in 1995).
Meanwhile the contingent was silently winning all the possible competitions, finally making it as the overall winners. For the first time in life I got a “gold medal”, for the boat pulling. So Vishakhapatnam favoured us with the first stint of destiny. Completely overwhelmed as the city showed me the world ….that existed outside my little state of Kerala. Perhaps…ahem…the possibility of existence of different types of ethnicity (especially the Female diaspora!) as the camp was a national one which is participated by the cadets from all the states of our country. As the victory songs were being sung while bidding farewell, me and my folks were (bit emotionally) making cinematic statements like “will never forget you Vizag…I shall be back!” and whatnots.
Within a year and half the NCC stint got over, then came the turn of music. Infact a little part of me was sad when our NCC tenure ended, as the camps gave an opportunity to visit places and meet more n more people. As I was roaming around the corridors of my College, my friend Edsel “Eddu” Correya, who has been a good friend of mine since kindergarten times, roped me into the Western music band (as its titled). We practiced “Seven bridges road”, “that thing you do”…etc for months. Little I thought that this was another window to cruise out. My college team won the first place in Western music (group), in University youth Festival-2000. The same year my team received the invitation for joining the University team for South-Zone University youth Festival. The Fest is meant for all the Universities in South India. The Location??? …Vishakhapatnam.
Believe me, we rocked….We won the first position. Once again had the opportunity to meet the “Dravidian diaspora” and some brief moments to flirt around. As we were leaving the city once again I was overwhelmed by the dynamic relation between an unexplained part of me and this city.
Then came the marine life, and I was once again in Vizag in 2005. The city healed me from an impending heartache, to be exact the marriage of a little crush of mine. That was first of a kind in life, but its okay to understand, admit, sensitise and keep moving on. As I was mugging up the basic chapters of marine subjects I found a kind of solace in this city’s mannerisms, the marine drive, little beaches, long jogging upon the hills of dolphin so on and so forth. The tenure was for almost 6 months. On completion, farely doing in my exams and consequently clearing the phase, I bid farewell to Vishakhapatnam once again.
It took almost 7 years to come back to vizag again. Let me admit, that I am a proud owner of a crazy heart who never knows the hierarchy between brain and heart…needless to say I stumbled upon once again during this interval and found in a thick soup of “heartache”, and felt like a prisoner of time which altered almost the philosophical approach to life. This time I had to curse this place, as I wandered clueless how to tackle the incoming adversities be it professional or personal. But believe me friends, there’s no better healer than time. The time moved on, and my displeasure with this city changed into a kind of deep love. As a very good friend of mine wished me once quoting “love conquers us all” and it did. Getting married, making a vacant quarters as a “home”, having a baby would be definitely a part and parcel of fine acknowledgements of life within the context.
But, the real test of being a military personnel came in the form of a cyclone. The cyclone which bore the name of a beautiful bird named “HudHud”. But the nature’s fury, believe me you, doesn’t care about name, however cute it sounds. So the cyclone with a cute name ripped apart the city, which is altogether another huge story, which I shall pen down once. I had the ‘honour’ to face it and direct my crew into a serious battle of salvaging, bracing and saving our ship including others. Being in the marine form for almost 10 years and the moment of truth was in facing the Mother Nature’s fury right here. An unforgettable stint, but I aint taking any credit for it as I believe it was never a one man show. I was fortunate to have many a few men with whose help we saved the day.
A couple of months back as I was babysitting my baby girl in Kochi, I received a message saying about an impending transfer order. Now I am into the slow and steady packing-mode, with my wife on phone line directing me like a call centre exec. But the thought of Vishakhapatnam is getting dovetailed into the reasoning centre of my brain. This city has everything, and for a boy who was born and brought up down south in the little city of Kochi, the question lingers vividly. Why Vishakhapatnam, and why not any other place? All the wins, heartbreaks, twist n turns of life had to be right here…..Why vizag? Why…??? Maybe I could sit with myself and talk it out…..still I can say there’s lot more unsaid about destiny….within the city of destiny. In a few days I shall leave this place….believing the embedded mystery of this city….City of Destiny!
My first encounter with Vishakhapatnam was way back in 1998 when I was doing my Pre-Degree second year (similar to the plus 2) in St.Albert’s College, Ernakulam. I was a cadet in National Cadet Corps, and one among the 35 member Kerala & Lakshadweep Contingent for attending the Nau-Sainik Camp-98 in Vishakhapatnam. We were rigorously trained in various activities like Roving (Boat pulling), Enterprise Class yatching, Sema Phore, Ship modelling.etc . Out of the 35 member team I was selected, through a lott system, for Boat Pulling team. If I correctly remember they chose 8 member team and I was in. All our efforts got paid as our team won the Gold medal in Boat pulling, the trophy called “Silver-cock” was lifted once again ( the previous was in 1995).
Meanwhile the contingent was silently winning all the possible competitions, finally making it as the overall winners. For the first time in life I got a “gold medal”, for the boat pulling. So Vishakhapatnam favoured us with the first stint of destiny. Completely overwhelmed as the city showed me the world ….that existed outside my little state of Kerala. Perhaps…ahem…the possibility of existence of different types of ethnicity (especially the Female diaspora!) as the camp was a national one which is participated by the cadets from all the states of our country. As the victory songs were being sung while bidding farewell, me and my folks were (bit emotionally) making cinematic statements like “will never forget you Vizag…I shall be back!” and whatnots.
Within a year and half the NCC stint got over, then came the turn of music. Infact a little part of me was sad when our NCC tenure ended, as the camps gave an opportunity to visit places and meet more n more people. As I was roaming around the corridors of my College, my friend Edsel “Eddu” Correya, who has been a good friend of mine since kindergarten times, roped me into the Western music band (as its titled). We practiced “Seven bridges road”, “that thing you do”…etc for months. Little I thought that this was another window to cruise out. My college team won the first place in Western music (group), in University youth Festival-2000. The same year my team received the invitation for joining the University team for South-Zone University youth Festival. The Fest is meant for all the Universities in South India. The Location??? …Vishakhapatnam.
Believe me, we rocked….We won the first position. Once again had the opportunity to meet the “Dravidian diaspora” and some brief moments to flirt around. As we were leaving the city once again I was overwhelmed by the dynamic relation between an unexplained part of me and this city.
Then came the marine life, and I was once again in Vizag in 2005. The city healed me from an impending heartache, to be exact the marriage of a little crush of mine. That was first of a kind in life, but its okay to understand, admit, sensitise and keep moving on. As I was mugging up the basic chapters of marine subjects I found a kind of solace in this city’s mannerisms, the marine drive, little beaches, long jogging upon the hills of dolphin so on and so forth. The tenure was for almost 6 months. On completion, farely doing in my exams and consequently clearing the phase, I bid farewell to Vishakhapatnam once again.
It took almost 7 years to come back to vizag again. Let me admit, that I am a proud owner of a crazy heart who never knows the hierarchy between brain and heart…needless to say I stumbled upon once again during this interval and found in a thick soup of “heartache”, and felt like a prisoner of time which altered almost the philosophical approach to life. This time I had to curse this place, as I wandered clueless how to tackle the incoming adversities be it professional or personal. But believe me friends, there’s no better healer than time. The time moved on, and my displeasure with this city changed into a kind of deep love. As a very good friend of mine wished me once quoting “love conquers us all” and it did. Getting married, making a vacant quarters as a “home”, having a baby would be definitely a part and parcel of fine acknowledgements of life within the context.
But, the real test of being a military personnel came in the form of a cyclone. The cyclone which bore the name of a beautiful bird named “HudHud”. But the nature’s fury, believe me you, doesn’t care about name, however cute it sounds. So the cyclone with a cute name ripped apart the city, which is altogether another huge story, which I shall pen down once. I had the ‘honour’ to face it and direct my crew into a serious battle of salvaging, bracing and saving our ship including others. Being in the marine form for almost 10 years and the moment of truth was in facing the Mother Nature’s fury right here. An unforgettable stint, but I aint taking any credit for it as I believe it was never a one man show. I was fortunate to have many a few men with whose help we saved the day.
A couple of months back as I was babysitting my baby girl in Kochi, I received a message saying about an impending transfer order. Now I am into the slow and steady packing-mode, with my wife on phone line directing me like a call centre exec. But the thought of Vishakhapatnam is getting dovetailed into the reasoning centre of my brain. This city has everything, and for a boy who was born and brought up down south in the little city of Kochi, the question lingers vividly. Why Vishakhapatnam, and why not any other place? All the wins, heartbreaks, twist n turns of life had to be right here…..Why vizag? Why…??? Maybe I could sit with myself and talk it out…..still I can say there’s lot more unsaid about destiny….within the city of destiny. In a few days I shall leave this place….believing the embedded mystery of this city….City of Destiny!
